Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were hit with a dose of reality on their return to international cricket. Making a comeback after more than 6 months, the India veterans were found wanting in the IND vs AUS 1st ODI. While much of the build up to the Perth match was around their return, the India stars simply failed to deliver on that hype on Sunday.
Comeback fuses out for Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli
Australia captain Mitchell Marsh won the toss and put India into bat in the 1st ODI at Perth. Rohit Sharma walked out to bat with his successor Shubman Gill in tow in his 500th International match. The 38-year-old had his defence working, punching through for a couple of singles. Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood held their lines meaning there were no freebies. Rohit did get his timing right to pick up a boundary, while he aggressively tried to hoick Hazlewood after stepping down the wicket. He was dismissed soon after, being surprised by a delivery that bounced extra. He scored just 8.
Rohit’s wicket was greeted with cheers as Virat Kohli walked into the middle. The India No.3 was caught on his crease and played 8 dot balls. He was a little unlucky, with Cooper Connolly taking a spectacular catch to end his innings. Kohli’s career has been defined by his ability to keep the scoreboard ticking with singles and doubles. The 36-year-old however could not do that on Sunday and eventually succumbed to that pressure.
Both Rohit and Virat aim to beat father time to play the World Cup in 2027. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar has assured that the veteran duo would not be put to trial every game. Nonetheless, failure in Perth will serve as a major point as RoKo push through the latter years of their career.
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